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Submission Tips What makes a good writer? If you have to ask, you're probably not ready for a literary agent. (Plenty of publishers will still consider your work even without agency representation.) But if you believe you're good enough to merit literary representation, please read on. Things To Be
Things Not To Be
While The Swetky Agency is a full-service literary representational agency, we do not baby-sit undeveloped writers, offer typing, ghostwriting, or manuscript-preparation services (although we will provide pre-presentation editing suggestions, when needed). We do not charge writers a reading, handling, or editing fee. We do not, except under very unusual circumstances, correspond with our writers by telephone, fax, or instant messaging--only by e-mail. (Some of our agents put in 14-hour days. We need to keep their time free for reviewing, selling, and contractual consultations.) What we do offer our clients is a place for good writers to go when they have a good product and want the best agency possible to represent them diligently in the publishing, film, and television industries. What We're Seeking In fiction book-length manuscripts (60,000 words or more only), we're looking for any property that is marketable with the exception of Poetry and Children's Picture Books. We do accept Juvenile and Young Adult fiction and nonfiction. We do not handle articles or short stories except when collected in book-length anthologies. In nonfiction book-length manuscripts (60,000 words or more or equivalent with illustrations only), we handle any property that is marketable. In screenplays, we're wide open to full-length feature films, television MOWs, animated series, and television series concepts. How To FormatYour Manuscript Properly Books For a look at editors' preferred book formatting, check out these illustrations: For additional tips on proper formatting to give your property a competitive edge: Formatting Tips Remember that editors are used to seeing manuscripts in one specific format and do not approve of, appreciate, or condone other formats. Get used to setting up your manuscripts according to the samples here and always use this format for your book-length material. Otherwise, you'll have one strike against you from the very start! Screenplays and Scripts ALWAYS use Writers Guild of America approved formatting for all of your film and television scripts. How To Submit Submit an initial-contact query via e-mail (the only way that The Swetky Agency accepts unsolicited queries) by going to the Submission Form Index page and following instructions. If we find your submission of interest (that is, if we believe you're a writer of professional caliber with a marketable proposal), we'll ask you for additional information. Ultimately, our goal is to issue an Author-Agent Contract. Please do not send any portion of your book until requested, and do not submit material via regular mail. We look forward to hearing from you, and we hope to see your work soon. |
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